Campanula plant named &#39;Violet Teacups&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct bellflower plant,  Campanula  plant named ‘Violet Teacups’ with dense, compact, mounded habit; cordate to deltoid medium-green foliage and numerous strong purple campanulate flowers over about a 14 week period beginning in late spring. The new plant is suitable for landscaping as a specimen, en masse, or in containers.

Botanical designation: Campanula carpatica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Violet Teacups’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant was made by WaltersGardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2018 when the claimed plant was displayed as aphotograph with short description on a website owned and operated byWalters Gardens, Inc., and the initial sales of the new plants was onOct. 8, 2018, also by Walters Gardens, Inc. who obtained the plant andall information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants ofCampanula ‘Violet Teacups’ have been sold, in this country or anywherein the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, morethan one year prior the filing date of this application, and suchdisclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectlyfrom the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct clusteredbellflower herein also referred to as Campanula ‘Violet Teacups’, by thecultivar name, ‘Violet Teacups’, or as the new plant. The new plant wasderived from a cross made on May 14, 2015 from a plant in a greenhouseresearch facility in Zeeland, Mich. The female parent was a selectedseedling privately identified as ‘AF-001’ (not patented) and the maleparent was the same seedling privately identified as ‘AF-001’. ‘AF-001’is a selection from ‘Arend's Form’ (not patented) that wasself-pollinated. The single selected seedling from this crossrepresented by ‘Violet Teacups’ was selected from a group of seedlingsby the inventor, isolated and compared in subsequent years to otherCampanula and subsequently found to be different from all cultivarsknown to the discoverer and eventually given the breeder code 15-5-1.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA by basalcuttings has shown ‘Violet Teacups’ to be stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations since late June 2016.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Campanula ‘Violet Teacups’ has not been observed in all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changesin environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability,etc. without, however any variation in genotype.

Campanula ‘violet Teacups’ is distinct from all cultivars known to theinventor in the following traits:

1. Small, cordate to deltoid, serrate, medium-green foliage with compactheight and dense mounded habit.

2. Heavily-branched with strong purple bell-shaped flowers clustered atthe nodes and ends of stems.

3. Long flowering period beginning in late spring and continuing forabout 14 weeks.

Plants of Campanula ‘Violet Teacups’ are most similar to plants of theseed variety ‘Rapido Blue’ (not patented). ‘Rapido Blue’ has a shorterflowering season, less flower coverage in peak flower and the flowersare larger and not as violet in color. ‘AF-001’ has a flatter flowerwith shallower cupping. The new plant has denser habit than both‘Arend's Form’ and ‘AF-001’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Campanula‘Violet Teacups’ as a three-year-old plant. The colors are as true asreasonably possible given the technology available. The color values mayvary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a landscape environment.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on one and three-year-old plantsgrowing in a full-sun trial garden and a partially shaded greenhouse inZeeland, Mich., USA. Environmental conditions for the growing seasondaytime temperatures range between 12° C. to 35° C., and nighttemperatures range between 6° C. to 24° C. Except for ordinarydictionary color usage, color references are according to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 edition. The new plant has notbeen observed in all possible growing conditions and may vary inphenotypic characteristics based on water availability, lightconditions, fertilizer, temperatures, etc. without varying in genotypiccharacteristics.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent is the seedling selection known    only privately as ‘AF-001’; male or pollen parent is the same    seedling selection known only privately as ‘AF-001’;-   Asexual propagation: Cuttings, about 12 to 20 days to initiate    roots; time to finish in a one-gallon container about 12 weeks from    an established 25 mm plug;-   Plant habit: Rounded mound, herbaceous, perennial, winter-hardy;    with heavily-branched flower stems up to 45.0 cm wide and 30.0 cm    tall; average about 42.0 cm across and about 28.0 cm tall; with    about 10 well-branched stems per plant;-   Roots: Finely branched; color nearest RHS NN155B;-   Stems: Flexible; glabrous; thin; cylindrical with slight    longitudinal ridges; to about 24.0 cm long and 3.0 mm diameter at    base;-   Stem color: Young stems nearest RHS 183B, mature stems nearest RHS    146D toward base and nearest RHS 146B distally;-   Leaves: Cauline alternate; simple; cordate to deltoid; acute apex;    truncate to cordate base; margin serrate teeth curved toward apex;    adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous, matte; up to 45.0 mm long and    33.0 mm wide, average about 30.0 mm long and 21.0 mm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial nearest RHS 146A with    slight bronze blush of nearest RHS 175D and abaxial nearest RHS 146A    with slight bronze blush of nearest RHS 175D; mature leaves adaxial    nearest RHS 137A, abaxial between RHS 137C and RHS 137B;-   Petiole: Thin; concavo-convex; glabrous both adaxial and abaxial;    margin entire; to about 64.0 mm long and 2.5 mm wide at base;-   Petiole color: Emerging leaves nearest blend of RHS 176B and RHS    146C adaxial and abaxial, mature leaves adaxial and abaxial nearest    RHS 137B along margins and nearest RHS 138B in center;-   Veins: Palmate; puberulent, glabrate;-   Vein color: Adaxial midrib and secondary veins nearest RHS 191B,    abaxial midrib and secondary veins nearest RHS 137B;-   Flower: Single; perfect; campanulate; on terminal branches; to about    30.0 mm across, about 18.0 mm tall; attitude outright to upright;-   Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected;-   Calyx: Protruding; to about 20.0 mm wide and extending about level    with corolla base;-   Sepals: Typically five; lanceolate; narrowly acute apex to    apiculate; truncate base; margin micro-serrulate; glabrous adaxial    and abaxial; about 10.0 mm long and about 2.0 mm wide at base;-   Sepal color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 137B;-   Flowering period: Beginning late spring, for about 14 weeks;    producing about 126 flowers and 100 buds per plant at one time    during peak flowering;-   Flower longevity: About 5 to 7 days;-   Flower buds: One day prior to opening — oblong; longitudinally    channeled; rounded apex; about 18.0 mm long and 11.0 mm diameter;    four days prior to opening about — 14.0 mm long and 6.0 mm diameter    near apex;-   Flower bud color: One day prior to opening — nearest RHS 83C; four    days prior to opening — nearest RHS N77A;-   Peduncle: About 10 per plant; highly branched; cylindrical;    glabrous; upright to outright attitude; flexible; about 3.0 mm    diameter at base and 40.0 cm long; about 15 nodes, average internode    spacing about 2.1 cm; branches to about 27.5 cm long and 2.0 mm    diameter at base;-   Peduncle color: Nearest 138B;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; glabrous; thin, flexible; average about 8.5 cm    long and 0.5 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A;-   Petals: Typically five; acute apex; basal 13.0 mm fused; glabrous    adaxial and abaxial; about 18.0 mm long and 12.0 mm wide above    fusion;-   Petal color: Adaxial nearest RHS N87A with center nearest RHS N87A;    abaxial nearest RHS N87C with three midrib nearest RHS N87D;-   Androecium: Typically five;    -   -   Filament.—About 4.0 mm long and 1.5 mm wide at base and 0.1            mm thick, puberulent, flattened and adpressed along ovary in            distal one-half; glabrous distally; color nearest RHS 157C.        -   Anther.—Lanceolate; basifixed; about 4.0 mm long and 1.5 mm            across; color nearest RHS 145C.        -   Pollen.—Not abundant; color between RHS 163C and RHS 163D.-   Gynoecium: Syncarpous; half-inferior; about 18.0 mm long;    -   -   Style.—Cylindrical; puberulent distally, glabrous distally;            about 10.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS            145C.        -   Stigma.—Typically trifid; cochleate distally with maturity;            about 6.0 mm long before curling, 3.0 mm long when curled,            and 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 197A when young and            nearest RHS 196C when mature.-   Fruit: Oblong poricidal capsule; longitudinally carinate; 9.0 mm    tall and 5.0 mm wide;-   Fruit color: Nearest RHS N200A;-   Seed: Flattened ellipsoidal; rounded apex and base; about 1.0 mm    long and 0.5 mm across center;-   Seed color: Variable, some seeds between RHS 200A and RHS N200A;    Campanula ‘Violet Teacups’ is tolerant of winter temperatures from    USDA hardiness at least to zones 4 to 8. The new plant grows best in    full-sun with good drainage and adequate moisture. It is not known    to be tolerant of diseases and pest that are common to other    Campanula cultivars.

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant named‘Violet Teacups’ as described and illustrated.